Fixed Fight (Mike Chance series Book 2)

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Fixed Fight (Mike Chance series Book 2) Page 18

by E. Ivan Infante


  Jersey fell back on the ropes and Mike took advantage with solid body shots: one after the other. Jersey lowered his hands to make them stop and Mike nailed him in the head with a solid right. He opened a cut over Jersey’s eye and his next shot sent blood across the ring. Some went into Mike’s mouth. He liked the taste.

  Mike pressed his advantage and dropped in an uppercut and then another solid hit and the whistle sounded. Jersey stumbled to his corner: his legs gone rubbery. Benny let Mike have water this time. Dilworth’s face was pale and he was draining the flask upside down into his mouth. He put it back in his pocket and checked the bags again. They hadn’t moved from between his legs.

  When the whistle sounded for the next round, Dilworth had his head in his hands. He couldn’t stand the tension. Mike charged out of his corner when the bell rang and went right back to work on Jersey’s midsection and Mike punished the kid. He landed blows that lifted Jersey up into the air. Jersey stumbled back and rolled off the ropes and surprised Mike with a jab to the face. Mike took the shot as motivation. He recovered and caught Jersey with another jab that left the kid stunned and defenseless.

  Mike stepped in and went to town on him. He punched hit him over and over. Jersey tried to ducked under, but Mike met him there with another uppercut. Jersey hit the mat and rolled onto his back. Blood flowed out of his mouth and he struggled to his feet. The Doc went over and helped him. The Doc kept the count slow.

  Mike took a lap around the ring and checked the crowd. The shills were going wild. Even Benny and had all lost sight of the plan and gotten caught up in the fight. It was a brilliant show. Dilworth looked happiest. He could feel the money moving to his pocket. He thought about the real estate deal for the first time since the switch the other day. After counting his winnings, he’d get the land for nothing.

  In the ring, Doc helped Jersey to his feet as the count got to eight. Blood streamed down the kid’s face. Mitchell stood on the edge of the ring.

  “Get back in there!” He screamed.

  Jersey looked wobbly, but the crowd insisted the fight continue. Mike watched Dilworth. The mark could barely contain his joy at Jersey’s suffering. Mike decided to kill Dilworth as soon as he got the chance.

  The Doc counted ten and pushed the kid back into the ring. Mike set out to finish it. He worked the body and then went back to the head. The blood had smeared down Jersey’s chin and the cut above his eye had opened wide. The blood blinded him. Mike took advantage and let loose another big hook. He connected and Jersey went limp.

  Blood poured out of the kid’s mouth and he hit the ground like a plank. He didn’t move. The Doc ran over to Mike and grabbed his hand and raised it up.

  “Winner! Winner!” The Doc declared.

  Mitchell climbed into the ring and went over to Jersey. Frisby and Benny met him there.

  “My God! My God!” Mitchell yelled. “He’s dead.” Right when Mitchell said it, the cops burst in.

  “Nobody move.” The cops yelled.

  Everyone scattered. The shills panicked and moved in a mass toward the ring. Benny and Frisby vanished without a trace, while Mitchell and his fellows headed straight for the back exit. Mike jumped out of the ring and followed them. Dilworth blocked his path. He had a bag of money in each hand.

  “Is he really dead?” Dilworth had wild eyes.

  “I’m not waiting around to find out.” Mike looked the bags. “That the money?”

  “Yes.” Dilworth said it like it was the only thing in the world he was sure about.

  “Then let’s go.” Mike said.

  He took Dilworth by the arm and rushed him toward the exit and out into the alley. Mike pulled Dilworth along behind him. After a few yards, Mike slowed down a bit. Dilworth was out of breath and Mike was winded from the fight.

  “We gotta get out of town. Bare knuckle ain’t legal.” Mike sounded scared.

  “I’ve got to get my bags.” Dilworth protested.

  “Forget them.” Mike motioned at the bags. “We’ve got more than enough there.”

  “No, I’ve got to get them.” Dilworth had grown some backbone. Either that or he’d already decided on a plan.

  “Fine. I’ll meet you at the train station. We’ll catch the next one out.” Mike said.

  “All right. Good. I’ll see be there.” Dilworth agreed.

  Dilworth took off. He ran toward the hotel, but he never went to the train station. He hired a car for Los Angeles. He was halfway there when he checked the case.

  Mike watched Dilworth disappear around the corner. Then Mike turned and walked the other way. He hurried down the alley toward a small automotive garage a block west of the gym. A door was ajar at the back of the building when he got there. Mike went in and closed it behind him.

  The place was packed to the rafters with grifters. The two cops arrived behind Mike. They headed to a corner and kept to themselves. In the middle of room, there was an old Fordor up on blocks. Frisby leaned against it. Benny stood next to him and counted out money onto to the hood: a stack for Mitchell, a stack for Frisby and a stack for Mike and Benny.

  Mitchell stood nearby watching closely. Jimmy and the old man winos were in the corner behind him. All of them were beaming. They were having the time of their lives. Mike went over to Doc who leaned against the wall counting out his thousand. He had been paid first, off the top. When he finished his count, he smiled at Mike and pocketed his money.

  “Come here.” He said to Mike and pointed to a nearby sink with a first aid set up on it. There was already blood there from Jersey. Mike headed over to take his turn. Doc got the sink running and washed his hands..

  “Come on let me look at ya.” The Doc commanded.

  Mike did as he was told, but Jersey interrupted them.

  “Good fight brother.” He said.

  “Yeah.” Mike answered.

  They shared a nod of agreement. It had been a good fight.

  “Good work Mike.” Benny shouted from over by the car.

  “Thanks.” Mike waved in his pal’s direction, but it was hard to raise his arms.

  The Doc stepped in and pulled Mike over to the sink.

  “You sure got out of there fast.” Mike said to him.

  “I move pretty quick for an old fella. Come on, you can’t walk around looking like that.”

  “It’s not my face. It’s my ribs.” Mike spoke, but the words came out thick. His mouth had started swelling.

  “Come on.” The Doc sat Mike on the counter by the sink.

  Mike closed his eyes as the Doc rubbed his face clean and dabbed the wounds with ointment. The Doc wrapped his ribs next, then gave him a couple of pills. Mike took them and then dressed in a clean shirt and pants that the Doc got for him out of a paper bag on the floor.

  Mike put on the pants first, then went for the shirt. When he was pulling it on, he saw the trouble coming. Frisby drawing on the sly. His two fake cops reaching when they saw their boss move. Mike hit the floor right when the first shots rang out. Benny wasn’t so lucky. He was too close to Frisby and too caught up with the money. He took a bullet in the stomach and went right down.

  It was one of Mitchell’s wino’s that turned the tables. Mitchell was smarter than he looked. He went cheap with one of his men, but the other was aces. The fellow had his pistol out quick and he knew had to use it. He dropped the fake cops with four shots, but Frisby didn’t waver. He spun on the man and gunned him down along with Mitchell and the other wino. Then Frisby hit the door. He took the money with him.

  Mike jumped up and followed. He came out of the garage in time to see Frisby hop into a Coupe. Panama Hat was behind the wheel. Frisby aimed his gun at Mike, but Panama Hat turned the wheel on a dime and botched the shots. The Coupe turned off and rounded a corner. It left Mike in the dust.

  Benny and the Doc stumbled out after the shots. The Doc had his first aid kit in one hand. The other held up Benny who was gut shot and bleeding bad. In the background, a freight train rumbled past at slow speed.
Mike hadn’t even noticed the tracks before.

  “Mitchell’s boy almost got the drop on him.” Mike said. He motioned with his head to the garage. “What about the rest of them?” He asked.

  “They’re dead.” The Doc answered quickly.

  “That bastard. I want my money, Mike.” Benny only had the strength to whisper.

  “I know Benny.” Mike said. “Me too.”

  “We can’t stay here. The town will be too hot by sundown.” Doc handed Benny over to Mike and motioned at the train. “That’s our way out.”

  “How do you know?” Mike took over as Benny’s crutch. He could have held Benny up with his finger.

  “He’s right. It’s headed to the next score. I set it up that way.” Benny drooled a bloody froth of words.

  “We can’t board like this.” Mike shook his head.

  “We can get on here. There’ll be freight.” Doc relished it like it was old times.

  “Then we better get on with it. We’re getting an audience here.” Mike said.

  Several people had gathered at the sound of shots. The police would not be too far behind them. The Doc helped Mike move Benny toward the tracks. The freight train had picked up some speed, but with effort they hurried along beside it.

  An empty boxcar passed them with the door open. Mike took Benny away form the Doc, picked him up, and put him on board as gently as he could. Benny groaned when he hit the floor of the box car, but managed to roll himself away from the door.

  Mike turned to help the Doc next, but the old man didn’t need it. He tossed his first aid kit into the boxcar, then clambered on board next to it. He went to Benny right away and pulled him further away from the door. Mike hopped on last.

  Mike sat facing out with his legs dangling. Behind him, the Doc got to work on Benny. He had his kit and there was still enough daylight to work by. Mike sat and watched the town go by. He made sure no one followed them. He didn’t think anyone had seen them board the train either, as far as he could tell.

  As the train left town, it picked up speed. Mike relaxed and lit a smoke. He left the open doorway and went over to his friend. He watched the Doc work on Benny. He hoped the old man would save the little guy. Mike wasn’t ready to start over. Soon the train was really moving and Benny cringed a little with every rumble. Mike reached out and took his partner’s hand. It was the only thing he could do.

  Table of Contents

  January 25th 1938

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

 

 

 


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